Simulated treaded vehicle



Jan. 26, 1954 L. v. JACOBSON 2, 67,349

SIMULATED TREADED VEHICLE Filed April 5, 1950 i Z 5 FIG. 7

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Patented Jan. 26, 1 954 UNITED STATES iEfN T 1 Claim.

This invention relates to atoy and in particular to an ambulatory, but unwheeled, toy.

One of the objects of this'invention is to provide a new toy which may safely and easily be operated by any child able to crawl, but which may be used. by children of any age.

Another object is to provide a toy which is adapted. to many uses, both ambulatory and stationary, within the ingenuity of children.

Otherobjects will be apparent to those skilled in the art when the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of this invention, an endless track is provided, flexible longitudinally and of such construction that a child within the track's/hen the track is in itshorizontal position, can support the weight of the track above him and propel the track along the ground. At the same time, the "track is constructed to be sufiiciently rigid transversely as to be self-supporting. This rigidity prevents the device from collapsing about a child within it and allows the use of the device as a verticalwalled enclosure.

In the accompanying drawingsi Figure 1 is a perspective View showing one emembodiment of this invent-ionzbeing propelled by a child.

- Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a slightly different embodiment of the device shown in Figure 1, showing a vertical-walled enclosure.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing one surface of a blank suitable for use in forming the device of this invention.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the reverse side of the blank shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of this invention.

One illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in use in Figure 1. As shown in that figure, a track I is segmented by score lines 2 to provide in efiect a series of parallel transverselyextending strips 3. The margins of the exterior surface 5 of the track I are printed with simulated treads 8. Intermediate these treads 6, transversely, are printed cannon 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, ports 8 are provided which coincide with the muzzles of the cannon I. The embodiment of this device shown in Figure 2 difiers from the embodiment shown in Figure 1 in that no ports 8 are provided in the former.

In both the embodiments shown, Figure 1 and Figure 2, the track ,l' is constructed'frqm a blank 12,, the; ends 9 .ojf whichv are secured "by an adhesive stri J10, as is shown inparticular detail inFigureB.

j In Figures 4 andj.5, the blank 12, from which atrack ll similar to'th'efl'device'shownin'Figure 1, maybe assembled, 11S lshown. "such :a' blank may be made,..from a material gsu'c'h as corrugated board. It has 'beenfound that a corrugated b.oard,.known theart .as c-flut'e' board, is particularly well-adapted .to such use. It is to be understood, or, course, that this invention is not limited to, this. particular material. It has beenfound that a'blankon the order of twentyiour inches (24") wide and .eight feet (8') long issuitable fforproducing a track which canjbe usedby children of average height-between .the ages vof two and ten, withsome variation both ways.

.When, cardhoard. or .any equivalent relatively thin material is used to form. a. track, the score lines?! are preferably madeon theinner surface only. This tends t givea certain amount of support longitudinally so that the track. does not rest. entirely onthe childs back. This is, shown in Figure 1. Entrance .toithe. device is also thus facilitated. However, the weight of a corrugated track distributed over the childs back, when the score lines .have weakened, orv when the scoring is made on both sides, is practically negligible.

In Figure 6, an embodiment of this invention is shown in which strips I5 of material, which may be relatively rigid, are mounted upon a flexible, smooth-surfaced member 15. In this em-' I bodiment, the strips l5 are mounted on the external face of the track so that the child does not pinch his fingers between the strips when crawling. A similar construction, 1. e., with the strips on the external surface, can be applied when the strips are integral with the backing as when the strips are formed by a molding or scoring process, when the material is of such a substantial thickness that a childs fingers can be pinched between the strips.

It is apparent that numerous suitable materials are available for this device within the scope of this invention. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, for example, light wood slats, or aluminum, or other metal strips, plastics or even weighted cloth may be used for the transverse strips mounted on fabric or heavy paper backing.

Light rubber compositions may be molded or scored to form either an embodiment similar to that shown in Figure 6 or similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2. Such materials may be scored on the inside or outside surface or, as has been suggested with respect to the corrugated board, on both surfaces.

While in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, an adhesive tape is shown as the endfastening means, it is to be understood that various other methods of securing the two ends of a blank are contemplated, such as a splice of the blank material itself, or the use of staples, etc. The track may be made in one piece, so that no binding is necessary.

It can be seen that the track may be rolled upon itself for shipping or storage. When an unassembled blank is used, the blank may be rolled from end to end to forma compact bundle.

In operation in the embodiment of the invention in which the device is assembled from a scored. corrugated board blank, the ends of the blank are joined in a suitable manner, as by tape,

which may be gummed or pressure-responsive, with the printed side of the blank out, and the scored side in. In those embodiments of the invention in which it is desirable that the scored or slatted sides be out, the track is assembled to so provide. In those embodiments in which the track is fabricated as a continuous belt, without free ends, no assembly is, of course, necessary.

The track is laid horizontally with one of its exteriorsurfaces fiat on the ground. The child, assuming a position withinthe track, such as, for example, that shown in Figure 1, can propel the track by simply crawling forward. This produces a motion within the track surprisingly like that of a tank.

Even a verysmall child can propel the device over obstacles lying in his path, and even, with some practice, on stairs and the like. Almost innumerable methods of propelling the track will occur to the child, such as somersaulting within it, standing or crouching, et cetera. By lying transversely of the track, within the track, two or more children can roll simultaneously to produce motion.

The track can also be used as a fort, house or play pen, by simply turning it to a vertical position as shown in Figure 2. In that position, the

enclosure may be made to assume various configurations.

ures l, 2 and 4 are so printed as to appear to shoot outwardly from any position of the track at which they are visible. The ports which may be provided allow greater visibility for the child and add realism to the effect of the cannon. It is to be understood that other suitable pictures may be printed in place of the cannon, or in addition thereto, or the printing may be omitted.

Thus it can be seen that a new, useful, entertaining, safe, ambulatory toy is provided which is adapted to numerous uses as a toy and which provides healthful exercise for its users.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A toy, simulating a vehicle equipped with treads, to be propelled by a child therein consisting of a band formed into a closed loop track and made up of transversely extending, flexibly connected segments, the track being flexible longitudinally and self-supporting transversely, being light in weight and of sufiicient width and length to accommodate the body of a child in the interior thereof, the outside surface of said loop track being imprinted to simulate the usual external characteristics of said vehicle, said characteristics including ports such as the gun ports or observation ports of a war tank, and said'track having holes therethrough intermediate its edges, said holes being spaced longitudinally along said track and forming ports coincident with said imprint.

LEO V. JACOBSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 154,498 Long Aug. 25, 1874 495,422 Meech Apr. 11, 1893 613,298 Palmtag Nov. 1, 1898 2,055,932 Kitchen Sept, 29, 1936 2,293,054 Freedman Aug. 18, 1942 2,319,966 Wood et al May 25, 1943 2,361,165 Arthur Oct. 24, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,235 Great Britain 1894 114,053 Australia Oct. 30, 1941 

